West Penn again tables data center ordinance

The West Penn Township Board of Supervisors continues to deliberate on a draft ordinance designed to regulate data center development within the township. During a recent meeting, the board opted to table any action on the ordinance, primarily due to the absence of Supervisor Tom Ackerman and the solicitor's recommendation to finalize the draft before sending it to planning commissions. Township solicitor Paul J. Datte advised against circulating the draft to the township and county planning commissions until the board is completely comfortable with its content. Datte expressed his approval of the ordinance's concept, particularly the idea of an overlay district for data centers. The current draft proposes allowing data centers in industrial districts through a special exception, contingent on them being situated on sufficiently large plots, typically requiring 30 to 50 acres. Datte highlighted that the primary challenges for data center development in the township are access to power, water availability, and potential noise generation, with power being the most critical factor for site selection. After further discussion, board Chairman Tony Prudenti suggested tabling the matter until the next meeting. This marks another delay in the process, as supervisors had previously reviewed the ordinance and agreed in February to send it to the planning commission for initial review. Herb Woodring, assistant to the board of supervisors, was acknowledged for his work in compiling the ordinance information.